What Taking Melatonin Could Reveal About the Hidden State of Your Heart

Not getting adequate sleep or having difficulty falling into REM is always a cause of concern, and one may want to turn to melatonin (gummies) for that. For a short period of time, or on days where you need to sleep for longer, a melatonin gummy does the work. But if you feel the need to keep consuming it for long periods of time, this could be a sign for an underlying heart problem.Melatonin is a hormone that is usually naturally produced by the body. It helps in inducing and regulating sleep and wake cycles. Synthetic versions of it are sold widely worldwide over the counter as dietary supplements and are marketed to help people fall asleep faster or overcome jet lag, at times. However, because these supplements are not regulated by the Food

and Drug Administration, doses and purity can vary widely among brands.

According to latest studies, long-term consistent use of popular over-the-counter sleep aid has been linked to a higher risk of heart failure and even something as serious as death in adults with insomnia. While there is no evidence that melatonin supplements themselves cause heart problems, researchers said, a need to take them on a regular basis to help with falling or staying asleep could be a big signal that the body is experiencing cardiac issues. Dr. Ekenedilichukwu Nnadi, lead author of the new study and an internal medicine resident at SUNY Downstate/Kings County Primary Care in New York City, recently stated that insomnia can increase blood pressure, inflammation in the body and stress hormones as well.

While the study has come to a conclusion that long-term melatonin use was an indicator of potential heart problems, and not causing the problems itself, experts agreed more on the fact that deeper research is needed into the possible side effects caused by the supplements themselves.